CenturyLink Field has Field Turf but for a World Cup qualifier they have laid down sod.

The U.S. men have turned complaining about field conditions south of the border into an art form. Now they are complaining about their own turf.

CenturyLink Field in Seattle has Field Turf. But for a World Cup qualifier they have laid down sod, which feels about as brown and hairy as the overgrown turf in Honduras, where the U.S. lost in February as Honduras used the field conditions to help slow the game down.

The issue boils down to this: Seattle has a fervent fan base and was rewarded with a qualifier for supporting the sport. More than 40,000 tickets have been sold. That reasoning isn’t sitting well with U.S. midfielder Michael Bradley. “It’s far from ideal,” Bradley said before training. “Seattle certainly deserves a game, but the field leaves a lot to be desired.”

“It’s different,” said Fabian Johnson, German-American used to playing on the perfect pitches in the Bundesliga. “But I think once we get out there it will be wet and it will be a great pitch.”

Clint Dempsey, the U.S. captain, said the only real issue is the ball won’t bounce very high. Then again, the U.S. won its first home game against Costa Rica in a blizzard. There is no snow in the forecast for Tuesday night in Seattle.

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